Handle



Sept. 28 1926. 7 1,601,520

J. s. FORBES HANDLE FiledDec. 1 1920 Patented Sept. 28, 1926.

AMES s. scams, or amenco, rumors.

r nNn E.

Application fiiedIJeceniber 1, 1920. Serial N'o. 427,477.

This invention relates to improvements in handles and more particularly to the construction of thegripping members therefor. rigid throughout their V length, strong and bodily rotatable upon the handle, and more especially'togripping members consisting of a series of leather disks or analogous material cemented'and pressed togethertoforin a solid mass, or else of a single tubular piece of wood extending the entire length ,of zthe handle. 1

Handle grips, constructed as above vdescribed, adapted for the purposes of suspen sion and the manipulation of the various articles to which they are attached, and for moving and directing the movements of implements over supporting surfaces, are, nevertheless, subject ,tothe objectionfthat frictional resistance during manual .,operation is sufiicient to notLOnly irritatethe hand of theoperator, but not infrequently blister it, owing to the fact thatthe sun-face of-the handle, doesnotand, cannot respond to the change in the. direction ofthe path of movement of the hand when suspendingan article and particularly when moving, .an article, such as asmoothingiron, .overa supporting surface. I r I The object .of my invention, therefore, broadlystated is a handle, the gripping portion of which is so constructed that its frictional resistance to the hand ofthe operator is reduced-to a minimum andtherebythe irritation and blisteringof thehandof the operator are prevented throughout the .sus-

pension and manipulation of tlie 'article to which the handle is attached, regardless of the length of time during. which hiswhand maybe so occupiedf I More specifically stated,'the objectjof my invention is to provide a handle with a sectional gripping. member, each, section of which is movable on the handle independentlyf of the others and whereby the Ifrictional resistance of the surfaceFexpo sed to ,7 the hand isreduced to a minimum.

A furtherbbject of .my invention is a handle having a gripping surface'made up offaseries' of independently movingsections, the material of'which is more oriless a nonconductor of heat and imparts to the hand of the operator asoft velvetlilresensation as distinguished from that due to. the use of wood and compressed'cemented disks of the same material.

With these ends in view, my invention jects are attained,

ut in the claims.

finds embodiment in certain features of novcity in the construction, combinationand arrangement of parts by which the said ohall as hereinafter fully lescribed with reference to the accompanyingdrawings and more In said drawings,

F 1 illustrates in side elevation in con- .nection with a smoothing iron, a handledn which my invention finds its embodiment, with the gripping member thereof partly in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a modified form of the handle and gripping devices trally perforated disks.

particularly pointed For carrying out my invention, .assh'own in Fig. 1, 5 indicates the frame for connectngthe handle properwith asmooth ng iron by means of bolts'l flbutrwhen the handle .is used in: connectiomwith other devices,

eans of the usual charsuitable connecting; v acter are prov ded therefor. r

The gripping member ofthe handle consists .of a curved rod. 8 passingthro ugh the end barsof the frame 5, provided jat onejend with a head and screwthreaded at its o pposite end at 10 on which screwthread works a thumb-nut 11 adapted for adjusting the force of coinpression of a series of disks 12 strung upon the rod s and for which'pur- .pos'e tlie disksxare provided with =ccntra1 perforations 13;j(see F ig. Some, if, not allof the disks 12 are wedge shaped; That is to say, they taper fromtheir upper s'urfaceinwardly towards their undersui't'face and every diskcanbe turned on its'axi's in dependently of the others against .the frictional resistance of the disks opposed thereto.

The force of the frictional resistance to every disk is regulated 'and j adjusted :by means of the thumb-nut ll. Thatjis to say, the frictionalresistance Ofthedisksf is so adj usted by means of the thumb nut that, owing to their; ed'ge-shaped form, when any one or more of the disks has made about a quarter turn, it is prevented. by a' wedging action froinmakinga complete turn, with the result that it will oscillate back and forth on its axis whengripped by the hand accordingly asthe directionjof the. gri ping force of the hand is ehangedfwith t 6 re:

sult that the frictional resistance to the hand is reduced to a minimum.

In short, as the grip of the hand against the edges ofthe disk changes in direction and force, the movement of the disk is such that the hand is relieved from any irritating frictional resistance and thereby prevented from being blistered.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the handle is provided with a straight rod 13 on which the axially perforated disks 1 1- are strung, which rod passes through the arms 55 of the handle and is provided at one end, as in Fig. 1, with a head 9 and at its other end with screwthreads 10 and a thumbnut- 11 for adjusting the frictional resistance of the disks against each other.

Normally the disks 14 are of uniform thickness, with the result, however. that when made of a compressible material, the lower halves of the disks are narrowed by the force of compression, with the result that the disks on the opposite sides of the center of length of the handle incline inwardly towards the central disk 15.

The handle illustrated in Fig. 2 is shown for the purposes of indicating the application of my invention to a straight handle as distinguished from the curved form shown in Fig. l.

With regard to the force of the frictional contact between the several disks, the compressive force applied thereto should he suf ficient for the frictional resistance of the disks to prevent them from making a complete revolution on the handle rod and especially when the handle of my invention is applied to a heating iron wherein it is frequently desired to, while grasping the handle, lift and turn the face of the iron up for testing its heat with a wetfinger and when, if one or more of the disks were free to revolve around their support, the hot iron would move to contact with and burn the wrist of the operator, as frequently occurs with irons provided with a continuiuisly formed gripping member sleeved on the handle rod and now largely in use.

When used as a handle for grips. trunks and other containers, even the complete rotation of the disk with but little frictional resistance and less than that for a smoothing iron, is not so seriously objectionable as it is for a smoothing iron. It is therefore apparent that any means which does not depend upon the frictional resistance of the disks for preventing their complete revolution is desirable and included by my invention.

For example, as shown in Fig. 3, it is possible and practical to string a series of disks16 of uniform thickness upon a straight handle rod 17 passing through frame members 1818, provided at one end with ahead 19 and at its opposite end with screwthreads 20 and a thumb-nut 21 for bringing the disks to close proximity with each other and with less force than is necessary to impart to them a substantially frictional resistance and limit their oscillation without imparting to hem substantially frictional resistance.

In other words, by providing eacl" disk with the elongated curved slot indicated at 22 in Fig. 4 and passing therethrough and through the handle frame 1818 a rod 23, provided at one end with a countersunk head 24: and with screwthreads at its opposite end for a nut 25, the movement of every disk is limited to the length of the slot 22. which length may be such that no disk can make more than a quarter of a-revolution back and forth on rod 17 For carrying out my invention, and especially for handles to be used in connection with smoothing irons by whatever name they may be designated, and for which my invention is especially adapted, I use disks preferably consisting of leather or maybe card.- board of suflicient thickness and because of their heat-non-conductivity and that they present to the hand of the operator a more or less soft and velvetlike surface'and impart but little frictional resistance. V

For valise, bag and trunk handles the disks may be made of harder materials, such. for example, as wood, vulcanized rubber, gutta percha, etc., wherein, for their suspension, but few different movements of the hand are required as compared with those for directing an iron for its successful operation on its support.

Having described my invention. what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A handle, the gripping member of which consists of a supporting bar, a series of oscillating disks on said bar, and means for limiting the degree of their oscillation.

2. A handle, the gripping member of which consists of a supporting bar, a series of disks having frictional engagement with each other, and means for regulating and adjusting the relative positions of said disks.

3. A handle provided with a gripping memberconsisting of a series of oscillating disks, and means for subjecting said disks to compression, the force of which is greater upon the lower halves of said disks.

4:. handle, provided with a gripping member consisting ofa series of oscillating wedge-shaped disks, and means for imparting to said disks a frictional action limitingv the degree of their oscillation on the handle.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and afiixed my seal, this 29th day of November,A. D. 1920.

JAMES s. FORBES. 1.8. 

